Chapter 11 Wilderness
\[Lilia\]
It has been a while since I was trailing down the weedy path. I could no longer see the way I came into this forest, and the mud began to accumulate on the pad of my feet, creating soles of thick mud.
The low temperature makes the tiny hairs on my arms stand upright, goose bumps appearing on my skin. The sheer, thin fabric of my dress provides little more than a smidgeon of warmth in this chilly weather.
For a fleeting moment, I regret going in here. I could still be in my bed, warm and cozy. However, on second thought, the prospect of spending the rest of my life in that grandeur place like a pampered bird in a cage is something I could not bear.
I just can’t.
The forest is so rich in diversity. I could even hear the woodpeckers hammering their beaks on the tree barks. Even at these early hours, the hoots and tweets of some birds could be heard, and crickets were singing in the light of day. Massive roots protrude dramatically above the surface of the ground. Some of them were even taller than I was, and their skin was covered in thick layers of moss.
The chill air feels so sharp in my nose but refreshing nonetheless, rather than the close confines of my room.
I wonder how Aya is right now.
She must be very disappointed that I escaped and was now blaming herself for leaving the door open. I know it saddens her as well about the current situation I was in. I could see the pity prominently showing in her eyes upon seeing the bruises and marks Kael had given me.
He tried to rape me.
I looked down at my wrists and saw the evidence he had left from last night: a couple of purplish-blue rings adorning my wrists.
I hate that man!
His drunken face keeps on resurfacing in front of my head. The way he lavishly took advantage of my vulnerability, the taste of his mouth invading mine, the taste of alcohol burned at the back of my tongue.
Though I admit, he smelled so good, even though he was drunk. His masculine perfume pervaded my memory. But that doesn’t change the fact that he tried to force himself on me.
Would he punish Aya for letting me out of her sight? I hope not, because it isn’t her fault I escaped. It was Kael’s fault.
If only he didn’t scare me so much and tried to be a little bit nicer, then I might have considered being friends with him.
He doesn’t know anything I’ve been through. My father was shot and killed. I have been put to a display and got sold in an auction.
It just happened that he was the one who purchased me does not give him the authority to degrade me into a lesser form of a human being.
But I think he wasn’t aware of that. Like, who would brandish a gun at someone during their first encounter? Unless, of course, he's the devil himself, which, to be honest, isn't all that surprising.
I was too consumed by my own thoughts that I had forgotten how long I was walking.
My attention was drawn back to my immediate surroundings, and it appeared that the forest continued on indefinitely, becoming denser and denser than I had previously noticed.
I turn around and look back in the direction I came from, hoping to see my footprints in the wet soil, but there aren't any to be found.
“Great, I’m lost,” I utter hopelessly.
I thought I could easily find a way through here to the other side. But it seems like this forest could stretch on forever.
Downhearted by the reality that I am, in fact, lost at the moment, I found a tiny sanctuary beneath a large tree. Its roots heaved up above the ground, so high that it was even taller than me. It is curving in an outward direction, forming a semi-circle, a perfect place to take a rest.
I breathe a sigh of relief as I sink into the small roots that line the perimeter of the circle, stretching my legs and allowing my blood to return to its normal flow.
Squinting my eyes, I look up into the dense foliage, hoping to see beyond the canopy of branches that are intertwined around one another and through the thick leaves.
The sun is yet to be seen from here—which explains why the air is thick with humidity. I couldn’t even see what lay beyond the forest since the thick mist was beginning to obscure everything in its wake.
Going back into the mansion only means two things. Either Kael would kill me. If I could really make it out here, or some wild animals would get me first.
Nonetheless, neither of these possibilities is appealing. Despite the fact that I have not yet observed any wild animals roaming around, this does not imply that this area is completely safe from them. This place is undeniably a large forest. Clearly, they are hiding somewhere around here.
My stomach growled loudly, indicating that I had been walking for a while now.
I’m hungry, tired, and sleepy.
At the same time, the thunder rumbled through the sky above me, serving as a not-so-gentle reminder of the impending heavy rain that lay ahead.
I groaned, shifting in my place to lean on the root around me, settling into a comfortable position so I could lay down on it.
I look up towards the canopy, listening to the rustling of leaves as they move with the wind above the foliage, becoming more ferocious.
A conspicuous thought entered my mind.
Would Kael or Val come and try to find me?
Not that I wanted to go back to the mansion, but would they let go of me that easily?
“What are you thinking, Lilia?” I laughed to myself at the ridiculous thought, snorting at myself for even considering it for a split second.
“Of course, they don’t care about you.”
Lightning flashed across the sky, followed by the rumbling of thunder rolls.
The first pellet of raindrop fell from through the canopy, landing on my cheeks.
I didn't bother getting to my feet. I just lay here on the ground, letting the rain pour down in heavy torrents.
Drenching me to the bones.
If I die here, at least I could depart this world in peace.